Catch up on the week's harness racing action in our weekly review, thanks to Darren Clayton.
THE GOOD
The first two-year-old feature race of the season in Queensland was held on Saturday night, with a stable quinella recorded when the Dixon team finished one-two over the line.
It was the Grant Dixon-trained and reined Cool And Classy that claimed the victory, running down Reds Ablaze (driven by Trista Dixon) in the closing stages, recording a winning mile-rate of 1.57.1 for the 1660 metre journey.
The race changed complexion after 300 metres when race favourite Our Sweet Delight broke gait and threw his chances away after being pressured for the lead by French Fries who had speared across from gate seven to mount a challenge.
French Fries then worked to the front but his time with the lamp lighting duties lasted less than 50 metres when he too jumped it off, his winning hopes expiring in the process.
As this happened there was then a brief challenge between Udderly Sweet and Cool And Classy, with the Chantal Turpin-trained and driven Udderly Sweet pressing through to take control.
With he first quarter appearing in 27.9 seconds, Cool And Classy was able to take the trail on the leader as Reds Ablaze then pressed forward to sit outside Udderly Sweet.
With the middle half run in 60.7 seconds, as the field turned for home, Reds Ablaze was testing the leader, with Grant Dixon not prepared to wait for the passing lane, easing wider on the bend to loom up three-wide.
With 100 metres to run, Reds Ablaze hit the front, and after doing all the work in the run, was trying valiantly to hold off the challenge of Cool And Classy.
However, the easier run showed and the victory went to Cool And Classy over Reds Ablaze, with Udderly Sweet holding on for third.
A daughter of super-sire Captaintreacherous, Cool And Classy is owned and bred by Kevin and Kay Seymour, the filly the third foal of her dam Charming Allie to have raced.
All three are now winners, and all three have tasted victory this season, including the full brother Captains Pick and the American Ideal half, Call To Order.
Not only was it a quinella for the Dixon stable, but it was also a one-two for the Seymours who are also the owners and breeders of the runner-up Reds Ablaze
The first foal of the 2018 South East Oaks winner Red Charmer, Reds Ablaze is a daughter of first season sire Captain Crunch, which has produced four winners to date this season.
Both fillies will likely clash again in a fortnight when the QBRED Breeders Classic for two and three-year-olds are held.
STAR GAZING
With the Constellations Carnival not far away, it is time to start keeping a watch on the performances of horses that will potentially be targeting the Sunshine State.
The New South Wales Oaks was dominated by the unbeaten Very Pretty.
The Emma Stewart-trained filly took her record to the perfect eight from eight, the win highlighted with a sizzling 25.8 second closing quarter at the end of the 2400 metre trip.
Connections have indicated that she could well be headed north, with the stable likely to be represented by several horses on a Constellations campaign.
The second-placed Lux Aeterna is also likely to head for the Queensland Oaks, while the locally-trained Zena Rhayne Bow returned an admirable third place and will head back to the Chantal Turpin stables to prepare.
Aardies Express was scintillating in securing the QE11 Mile, three-wide almost the majority of the trip and still boasting the temerity to grab the star mare Ladies In Red on the wire for victory by a neck margin.
Jack Trainor has indicated the Group 1 Golden Girl will be a confirmed target, where a return bout with Ladies In Red sets up a mouth-watering encounter.
Trainor took the reins on the Jason Grimson-trained trotter Royal Dan who scorched the mile in 1.52.1, the five-year-old eyeing off the Queensland Trotters Sprint and Group 1 Trotters Cup.
In New Zealand, Bet N Win claimed another feature race at Addington to go two for two, as he builds toward The Great Square, having already accepted an invite.
Merlin, already accepted for The Rising Sun, was run down in the Messenger at Auckland, finishing just behind the placings as Mach Shard defeated Self Assured and Better Eclipse.
THE WILDCARD
Calling all three codes of racing in the South East of the state does not leave much spare time for Anthony Collins.
However, Collins has managed to find the time to get back to training a small team of pacers and is currently enjoying a run of success with the nine-year-old mare London Lady.
Last Thursday at Redcliffe, London Lady completed a hat-trick of victories on 'The Triangle' when leading throughout for driver Alanah Richardson.
With the speed from gate one to hold the opposition out, Richardson kept the field rolling at even splits with a 29.5 second opening quarter, before easing it slightly to a 30.6 second split.
Running them through a 29.4 second third split before a 29.7 second split to finish them off, London Lady had just under three metres to spare over Shereacts with Royal Winkle piercing a gap for third.
Owned by Collins, it was the 20th career victory for the nine-year-old, seven of those wins for Collins since purchasing the mare around this time 12 months ago.
Having dabbled with a few tried pacers, Collins hung up the bridle in the 2013-14 season to focus on his race calling as the opportunities began to increase.
With the chance to get ‘back into the game’ last season, Collins jumped at the opportunity and 3,504 days after training his last winner, London Lady started the next flow of winners.
After preparing four winners through the remainder of 2023, Collins has tripled those figures already this season, preparing 12 winners to date, the most he has recorded in a single season previously was five.
London Lady’s six wins are joined with two apiece to Vallani Magic and Certainlycallitin, with Bulldog Brawler and Lincoln Hart each providing one win.
THE MILESTONE
The Al Barnes-trained and Adam Richardson-driven Northview Hustler caused a boil over at 'The Creek' on Saturday night when storming down the outside to claim victory in the open class event.
The 10-year-old veteran jumped at $126 for the win, arriving in the last strides to post a winning margin of a neck over Deus Ex, with Manila Playboy darting through along the passing lane for third.
Aardies Flash was driven hard off the gate by Pete McMullen and was able to repel Turn It Up initially before Shane Graham pressed on with Turn It Up to take control of the race, the lead time set in a slick 35.2 seconds.
With the opening two quarters appearing in 29.3 and 29.5 seconds, the tempo suggested the back markers would secure their opportunity.
Richardson drove patiently from the one out and two back position, angling three and four wide as the field swung the home turn, and Northview Hustler sprinted sharply to arrive in the last strides.
It was the 27th career victory for Barnes’ pride and joy, 18 of those wins coming at Albion Park.
By claiming his third victory this year, the gelding also surpassed $50,000 in stakes for the season, having eclipsed that value every season he has raced in Queensland since arriving in 2019.
Joining the Barnes stable that year, he was produced first-up to lead throughout in the Flashing Red Discretionary Handicap, driven by Hayden Barnes.
Since that first Australian victory, the gelding has recorded a further 18 wins, including a career best 1.50.9 victory in the final week of last season as a nine-year-old, just two weeks after competing through 'ID23'.
Saturday’s win was the sixth victory that Richardson has secured behind the gelding, with Hayden Barnes leading the tally, having sat behind ‘Huss’ for 10 victories.
The only other driver to have won aboard Northview Hustler in Australia is Brendan Barnes, recording three wins, with Brendan having also trained the gelding for a short period where he was able to secure a pair of victories.
THIS WEEK
Racing starts with a 10 race card from Albion Park on Tuesday with further meetings from 'The Creek' on Friday and Saturday night.
Round three of the Trot Rods will be held on Wednesday night from Redcliffe on an eight race card before a capacity afternoon of 10 races on Thursday.
Queensland will be strongly represented in the New South Wales Trotters Derby this Saturday night at Menangle, with three runners stepping out.
Tayla Gillespie will have Head Em Up lining up chasing four wins on the bounce and Darren Weeks will have Ajay Volstead looking to continue his Menangle campaign in style, having won both starts on the 1400 metre oval.
Agent Black was a feature race winner last season at Menangle, and Shane Graham will take the big striding son of Sebastian K back South for a shot at the Derby.
